Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-10
LANG SYNE In MEXICO.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE EARLY
MEXICANS.
An OIlapodrida of Mythology, His
tory. Tradition and Religion
Strange Things in Belief


zenith century away back to the misty
past. But even imagination canEot revert
% its earliest days, for no man knows who
we're the original builders of this ancient
which the Toltecs found deserted
md falling to decay when they arrived
here A. d. GAS, rechristened Tollantzingo,
Tollan or lula, and made their capital Tor
four hundred years thereafter.
Just back of modern Tula, on a rocky
ridge a mile long-called the Hill of the
Treasure may be found one of the most
groups of ruins in all Mexico.
1t overlooks both the lula valley and the
valley of Mexico, and glorious prospect
of green meadow and purple mountain.
Every afternoon we climb 10 the summit
through thickets of nopal and "organ "
cactus to watch the gorgeous sunsets; and
we do not wonder that those early wander
ers tarried here so long in their southwark
migration, for-regardless of ready-built
Is a charming little pocket
of fertility hidden among the hills. Few
sculptured stones are to be found now
upon
THE HILL OF THE TREASURE
Not much but opened cellars and massive
walls, with patches of red plaster adhering
to them, as at Pompeii. Farther back,
buried in the thick woods, are the largest
of the ruins-ponderous temples and pal
aces, split everywhere by the irrepressible
of the tropics, iiourishing luxuri-
antlv in the crevices their roots have made.
There have been many excavations here,
and NJ. Charney, the French archeolo-
gist, claims to have unearthed some mar
Vicious temples and palaces. But it must
be remembered that eminent savant is
gifted with a VIVID imagination, and
though the outer walls of these structures
are really magnificent in extent, they were
composed of rooms six feet by eight.
Senior Crebas, the Mexican archeologist,
in an article entitled Ruinas de la Antigua
Tollen," gives list Of the most noteworthy
antiquities discovered near lula, and lith-
ographed figures of the principal sculptures,
including the celebrated zodiac and hero
glvph, which have since been set into the
walls of the great church on the Intel of
the main entrance. There are three colos-
sal sculptures-perhaps of caryatides-still
to be seen in the little plaza of Tula. Two
of these are standing erect, while the third
lying DOWNS in two pieces, and shows
that it was formally united by mortise and
tenon.
Near the office of the railroad superin-
tendent may also be seen an enormous ring
of solid stone, like those found in the
ruins of Yucatan and Central America.
Just within the door of the cathedral is a
beautifully sculptured stone, taken from
one of the ancient temples, where it
doubtless served some heather rite, now
used as a baptismal font. In walking
about the sleepy little town we frequently
tread upon remarkably sculptured stones,
set into the shabby pavements, carved,
perhaps, a thousand years ago.
In this spot, so rich in archaeological
wealth, man is known to have lived for
more than thirteen hundred chronicled
years, and how long previously none can
tell. Tradition says that at lula the great
culture-hero,
QUETzALCoATL, THE "FEATHERED SER
PENT,"
Developed the civilization that raised the
Toltecs so far above the level of their
neighbors. On the face Of a nearby cliff
his face is sculptured, and in the market
place of lula may be seen his image,
carved on massive pillar unearthed from
Tollantzingo, ancient Tollen or lula
Close by is pointed out that famous chill
of Shouting" whereon Quetzalcoatl, "God
of the Air." proclaimed his mandates over
the entire valley.
The Toltecs had lived in lula nearly a
hundred years when he first appeared
among them, which would make his ad-
vent about the year 700. He was bene-
fcient diety, who took upon himself the
shape of a man in order to improve the
condition of the people of earth-a sort of
Toltec Christ. His name is constructed
from two words Quetzal, bird of brilliant
plumage found in the forests of Southern
Mexica, and coat, a serpent, also found in
the same latitude. Tradition paints him
as very tall, white man, with long, full,
blonde beard-a perfect European in COM
plexion and general appearance, as differ
ent from the Indians among whom he
lived as can possibly be imagined.
His stay marked the Golden Age of
the Toltecs. Here he built those famous
palaces of silver, crystal and feathers, and
here were the celebrated gardens in which
cotton grew in various colors, ready dyed
for the loom-scarlet, green, red, blue, yell
low. In his time corn grew SO strong that
a single ear was all that man could
carry. Gourds were as long as mans
body, pumpkins a fathom in circumference,
and other fruits in similar proportion.
He taught the people many useful arts
how to cut that precious green stone, the
chdtchinite, how to cast metals, to reckon
time, etc.
Some say that he was a native of the
East, and came from over the ocean. In
deed nearly every nationality on earth
has been claimed for him-from Egyptian
to Irish But by and by there came
among the people
AN EvIL-MINDED GOD
Named Tezcatlipoca, who Immediately be-
came very jealous of Quetzalcoatl, and de-
to drive him from the country.
So Tezcatipoca appeared in the form of an
aged man and informed the "Feathered
Serpent" that it was the will of the gods
that he should be taken to Tlapalla. At
first Quetzalcoatl declined to go, but after
beverage which the old man
offered him, he suddenly changed his mind
and set out at once, followed by many of
his subjects. Many traces of this memoir
able journey are still pointed out. Near
the city of Quauhtitlan, in the valley of
Mexico, he felled tree with stones, which
to this day remain fixed in the trunk, and
near the village of Halnepantla he laid his
hand upon a rock and left an impress of it
for all time to come. Finally, on his way
to the coast, he came to Cholula, where the
great pyramid is, and the people would
not let him so, but made him their ruler.
Here he remained twenty years, though
the Cholulans would have detained him
much longer. He did not approve of the
sacrifice of human beings, which some of
the tribes performed in their worship, and
that they offer to the gods
only fruits and flowers.
Finally, drawn by some irresistible i'm
pulse he babe alden to his beloved Cholu-
lans, and, taking with him four noble
ne set out for the province of
on the Gulf of Mexico.
Here he dismissed his attendants and
launched out upon the waters alone, and
the youths returned to Cholula, where they
ruled for many years. 1t is said that
Quetza4eoatl appeared later on the coast of
Iucatan, and was worshiped there for
many years, under the name of Kukulcan
and to-day his image may be seen, cut into
HE walls on the vast r1ined a1ifca- of -hat